Objective: To evaluate the extent to which parents are satisfied with and understand the information they are given when their consent is sought for their child to participate in a phase III randomised clinical trial and the reasons for their decision. Patients and method: The authors carried out a prospective study. The authors included all parents whose consent was sought for their child to participate in the FRALLE 2000A protocol (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) at two centres. The parents were questioned twice by a qualified psychologist using a semidirected interview, 1 and 6 months after consent was sought. Results: 43 first interviews were carried out. All the parents declared they were satisfied with the explanations provided by the physician. 35 (81%) parents felt that the information provided with the request for consent was appropriate. Eight (19%) parents did not realise that their child had been included in a research protocol. 16 (39%) parents did not understand the concept of randomisation. Half the parents could explain neither the aim of the clinical trial nor the potential benefit of inclusion to their child. Only one third of the parents were aware that they had an alternative. The principal factor underlying their decision, as stated by 29 parents (67%), was confidence in the medical team. Conclusions: The parents signed consent forms without having fully understood all the elements specific to the experimental protocol. Rather, the parents based their decision on their confidence in the medical team, even when their child's life was at risk.
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The aim of the study was to evaluate, after the first year of a national information campaign, the effect on the frequency and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children and adolescents in France. The following data were collected during a 2-year period in people younger than 15years of age at diagnosis of T1D, in 146pediatric centers: age, sex, duration of symptoms, patient's previous care, clinical and biological signs, and family history of T1D. DKA was defined as pH. Source

Context: Lopinavir-ritonavir is a human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitor boosted by ritonavir, a cytochrome p450 inhibitor. A warning about its tolerance in premature newborns was recently released, and transient elevation of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) was noted in 2 newborns treated with lopinavir-ritonavir in France. Objective: To evaluate adrenal function in newborns postnatally treated with lopinavir-ritonavir. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the database from the national screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and the French Perinatal Cohort. Comparison of HIV-1-uninfected newborns postnatally treated with lopinavir-ritonavir and controls treated with standard zidovudine. Main Outcome Measures: Plasma 17OHP and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations during the first week of treatment. Clinical and biological symptoms compatible with adrenal deficiency. Results: Of 50 HIV-1-uninfected newbornswhoreceived lopinavir-ritonavir at birth for a median of 30 days (interquartile range [IQR], 25-33), 7 (14%) had elevated 17OHP levels greater than 16.5 ng/mL for term infants (>23.1 ng/mL for preterm) on days 1 to 6 vs 0 of 108 controls having elevated levels. The median 17OHP concentration for 42 term newborns treated with lopinavir-ritonavir was 9.9 ng/mL (IQR, 3.9-14.1 ng/mL) vs 3.7 ng/mL (IQR, 2.6-5.3 ng/mL) for 93 term controls (P Source